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Apostles for Life News
December 2002 AD
Published bi-monthly, with the support and
encouragement of the Bishop of Lismore, the Most Reverend Geoffrey
Jarrett, to inspire and support pro-life prayer, education and action -
a means of communication between those who attend our meetings and those
who are unable to attend for whatever reason. Meetings are held 10am on
the 3rd Saturday of each month in the Cathedral in prayer support of all
pro-life activists in the Lismore Diocese, followed by informative
discussion over a cuppa at Doyle House.
Editor: Angela Martello |
“Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to those
on whom His favour rests.”
A Tribute to the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants
Could there possibly be a more demanding and self-sacrificing work than that
taken on by the Helpers - who pray for, and offer help to women on their way to
abortion clinics to have their babies killed? These devoted people stand in the
hot sun, or in pouring rain and cold winds, often ridiculed by passers-by,
sometimes harassed by clinic staff, who think nothing of making false
accusations to the police (a person who is prepared to kill a baby, is hardly
likely to baulk at telling lies).
By the time mothers approach the clinic, many have, in their hearts, already
spiritually aborted their babies. This has hardened them to anybody who dares to
challenge their decision, be it ever so gently. And there are those who have
been pressured by parents, “friends” or the father of the child, and due to
circumstances, and lack of support, feel that they have no option, though in
their hearts, they hope that someone will hold out a hand to save them.
Recently, an accountant in the same building as a Tweed Heads abortuary made
a complaint to the police, supposedly on behalf of his client, who had been
approached as she entered the building. We contacted some experienced Helpers to
get advice. Here is part of Ben O’Brien’s answer that I think is well worth
publishing:
Dear Wera, The question that you raise is one that is common to all Helpers.
We’ve had the same problems here in Melbourne, as have Helpers all around the
world.
Not approaching people at all is a solution that would please the
abortionist. We have to remember what is at stake. Sure, we will make some
mistakes and approach someone who is going to that building for some other
purpose, but that should not put us off doing what we must, in charity, do.
It is important to develop a sense of discernment. The prospect of abortion
will affect most women. You can tell from her demeanour if a woman is going for
an abortion. If she looks like she is going to a funeral, then she is probably
bound for an abortion. While this works most of the time, there will still be
some women about whom you are not sure. In that case, you could talk to the
woman about abortion in the third person and try to gauge her reaction. You
could inform her that many women come to this building for an abortion and
suffer terribly afterwards. If her response is hostile, then she is probably
going for an abortion. If you have a pamphlet that you hand out, you could offer
it to her on the basis that she might know someone who needs this information. A
woman's assertion that she is not having an abortion is no guarantee; often
these people will lie to your face to cover up what they are about to do. There
isn't much you can say to such hardened hearts; prayer and sacrifice are our
best weapons.
We need to keep in mind that our aim is the conversion of hearts. Not just
the hearts of those women presenting for abortion, but the hearts of everyone
else as well. That includes the police, the accountant, his clients, the
abortion centre staff, even people who are walking by on their way to work. No
matter whom you speak to, your aim should be to bring the light of the Gospel to
their lives. Many of these people will have been involved in an abortion
themselves. These are always the most prejudiced against you. They will make
wild accusations about your behaviour.
During the week a young man was walking past the Helpers in East Melbourne.
He became angry and started to kick over their signs and tried to throw the
signs onto the road, where they would be run over by cars. When the Helpers
tried to restrain him he insisted on calling the police and accused the Helpers
of assault. In a situation like this the police are faced with two sides with
vastly differing accounts of what has happened. It is difficult for them to
determine the facts.
Relations with the police are important. Normally they regard these incidents
as a tussle between two radically opposed groups. Consequently, they are
reluctant to get involved. That can work to your advantage when the complaint is
made against you. If you have problems with a particular police officer, then it
may be time to talk to someone in a more senior position. It is a good idea to
seek a meeting with the local sergeant anyway to reassure him that you are not
breaking the law.
One reason that we have so many abortions in our society is that so many
people cooperate with it and so few people oppose it. Those who do nothing to
stop abortion can sometimes be troubled in conscience when they meet some good
person like you. Also, there are many people who have had abortions or condoned
them. They, too, may be troubled in conscience by your presence.
The accountant may fit into one of the above categories. Or he may simply be
an atheist who regards any public display of religion as offensive. Whatever his
problem is, it is desirable for you to try to win him over. He probably expects
you to react violently or abusively towards him. It is important to always treat
him with kindness.
We have had problems in East Melbourne with nearby workers. They can create
some headaches for you, but usually they give up after a while. Their hatred
cannot sustain them as much as the Eucharist can sustain us. The fact that it
was the accountant who lodged the complaint to the police - and not his client
who was allegedly harassed - indicates that he is out to make trouble for you.
You could assure him that you will stop coming there when they stop doing
abortions there. If he is prepared to put up with an abortionist in the same
building, then he had better be prepared to put up with you on the footpath.
One of the most frustrating aspects of Helpers' work is fending off the
absurd allegations that are made against us. People make all sorts of outrageous
claims about our behaviour. Shows like Blue Heelers reinforce the stereotype of
the fanatical, screaming anti-abortionist. If we are accused of harassment, then
(in the eyes of the law) that means that we are accused of carrying out some
particular act. In the eyes of the person making the complaint, however, we do
not need to actually do anything to be guilty of harassment. Our very presence
may be an act of harassment in the eyes of the complainant. Our actions do not
objectively add up to harassment, but a person may feel harassed by us. What
they really mean is that their conscience is troubled by our presence. This is
something that the law is not capable of dealing with. The law can protect
property and it can protect a person's physical health, but it cannot protect a
person from feeling bad about himself. If we are accused of anything, it is up
to the accuser to produce some evidence to support his/her claim.
I hope these thoughts are of some help to you. Over the years we have endured
opposition from many quarters: from police, council officers, passers-by, local
office workers, the abortionist and his staff. So do not be discouraged. As the
book of Sirach says, “If you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself to be
tried.” Your endurance, in spite of this type of opposition, is one of the most
eloquent witnesses that you can give to the presence of Christ in your soul;
especially if you can treat each person with love and respect. That is something
that they won't expect.
We always remember your work in our
prayers.
God bless,
Ben O'Brien
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I print this letter to give you some
idea of the challenges faced by the Helpers, and to beg you to pray and fast for
them each 2nd Friday of the month. Also pray for an increase in numbers so more
mothers and babies could be saved. ---------------------
Please pray for our Pregnancy
Support Workers, and also for an increase in Pregnancy Support Services,
that like Mary did for Elizabeth we too may go “with haste” to support pregnant
women, that none would feel alone or abandoned.
Jill Bishton of Wauchope Pregnancy Support writes:
Dear Angela
I received your Apostles for Life News today, and enjoyed reading it catching
up with the latest news. We will be praying for the Helpers of God's Precious
Infants as they pray outside the abortion clinic on 11 Oct, 8 Nov, 13 Dec. I
know that prayer works in many many cases. When we lived in xxxxxxx, a lady we
knew was going to Sydney by train to have an abortion. She got to the door of
the abortion clinic and turned around and came back to our town. We were all
praying from various churches for her and the baby. She said she didn't know
what made her change her mind about having an abortion. Six months later she
gave birth to beautiful twin girls. We all praised and thank God for the change
of heart and the lives of these girls. This is only one of the stories which
come to light, and point to persistent prayer as the answer. Please pray for all
those who work in the Pregnancy Help Centres all over Australia, about 30 in
all. The NSW Federation of Pregnancy Support Centres will be having a conference
at Avoca Beach, 18 to 20 October. We hope to come away encouraged and more
knowledgeable from the weekend. You might like to keep us in your prayers.
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An inspiring story of courage and hope and love
from Kempsey
Recently I received an email message:
Hello and peace to all. Just a quick note to ask for your prayers.
Our sixth child, due in late January, appears to have some major
problems. An ultrasound this week has shown a blockage at the end of the
duodenum, preventing the stomach emptying in to the intestines. This
condition, called duodenal atresia, occurs often in Down's Syndrome.
Because the baby cannot take in amniotic fluid, this is building up
rapidly in the amniotic sac, which can lead to waters breaking early and
premature birth.
We are going to Newcastle on Thursday to see specialists for a
confirmation of the diagnosis. If it is correct, the baby will need
surgery soon after birth and it will take some time in neo-natal
intensive care before any normal feeding could be attempted. It is
possible that Nic will be admitted to hospital on Thursday to eliminate
the risk of going into labour early in Kempsey, where there are no
specialist services.
We would appreciate it if you would join us in praying for our baby
and family. Our God is a God of miracles! Please pass this on to
everyone you know who prays!
With love, Jeff, Nicola, Brendan, Chiara, Kiernan, Aidan and Lachlan
Moore.
I e-mailed it to whoever I
could, and then sent a message to Jeff:
We got your message from
Michelle Vieira about your baby's problems, and consequent need for
prayers for the baby, Nicola, and all your family. I note that you live
in Kempsey so we both live in the Lismore Diocese. We certainly will
keep you all in our prayers. I have also e-mailed all the on-line
members of Apostles for Life, I will also put them in our next
newsletter. May God bless you and sustain you through this difficult
time,
Then on November 11, 2002
the message came:
Thank-you to so many people
for your prayers and words of encouragement for our unborn child. We
have received many e-mails from around the world, many from people we do
not even know. We have been really moved by this response and heartened
that indeed God is truly with us.
A quick update following Thursday’s appointments at Newcastle
Hospital. It seems there has been a small but significant miracle
already. The excess amniotic fluid that had accumulated has strangely
disappeared, which means that I don't have to spend the next ten weeks
in hospital three hundred kilometres from my children! While the fluid
remains normal the risk of premature birth is greatly reduced. The
doctors had no explanation for how this could have occurred, and I am
sure that it is due to God's intervention and mercy! We have a lot to be
thankful for.
Otherwise, the specialists agreed with the original diagnosis and are
planning to induce the baby a little early to avoid delivering the baby
in Kempsey where it would have to be air lifted to Newcastle. Further
tests would then be carried out to get a clearer picture followed by
surgery within 12 hours of birth. The ultrasound on Thursday could not
see any problems with the baby's heart etc but these will be further
investigated after birth. The paediatrician estimated that we have a 50%
chance of a down's syndrome child.
All in all we came home from Newcastle with confidence that God was
acting for this little one and that his hand was upon us. Thank-you
again for your prayers and support.
With love, Nicola, Jeff, Brendan, Chiara, Kiernan, Aidan and Lachlan
Moore Please continue to keep the Moore family in your prayers.
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Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12th
To mark the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th here is an
article from Laywitness December 1998 “Our Lady of Guadalupe and Her Missionary
Image” by Daniel J. Lynch.
With this edition, I am sending you a prayer-card of the Virgin Mother of
Guadalupe, which I’m sure you will love. I am also enclosing a 1300 pregnancy
helpline card, which can be used for the cost of a local call. I am asking you
to help save the life of a child this Christmas, by putting this in a public
place, or asking your doctor (or pharmacist) to keep it in his top drawer. If
you can circulate these cards, I would be happy to pass on more to you.
| Our Lady of Guadalupe has softened the hearts of many
women-victims of abortion through her missionary image. One victim was a
journalist named Cathy. She was “counselled” at an abortion centre: “It
will be OK.” She was not counselled on the option of giving birth and
adoption. “It was not OK. I felt a ripping torment, hurt and devastation
beyond description for killing my baby. Days turned into months which
turned into years and I continued to carry the burden of shame, grief
and guilt for ten long years!” Cathy later questioned me at a
Marian Conference. She sceptically asked, “How will Mary end abortion?”
I replied, “She will melt hearts, and the melted heart of a mother will
not consider killing her helpless, innocent child; she will reverence
the life within her and bring it to birth.” At this point Cathy broke
down crying and told me, “I had an abortion ten years ago. You are the
first person in the world that I have told. I named my son Joshua and
asked him to forgive me.” I quickly arranged for her to receive the
Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist that day, for the first time
since her abortion. We both felt great joy at her response to Mary’s
call to come back to her Son’s Church. She now evangelises youth in
chastity and reverence for life.
Another repentant mother-victim of abortion said,” I did not confess
this horrid sin until learning about Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image
drew me to herself. She is so beautiful and loving. She guided me
towards self-knowledge. I finally found the love and peace that is only
possible through the Sacrament of Penance.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe also saved a mother who had had four abortions!
She said, ”I now consecrate myself daily to the Holy Virgin Mother of
Guadalupe and I ask her to make me an instrument to end abortion by
melting hearts. I believe that Our Lady will heal all those who have
been wounded by the grave sin of abortion and that she is a shield that
will protect unborn babies and their mothers.” |
Can you help?
Up until now there has been no charge for our newsletter, and we hope to keep
it that way. However costs are creeping up and at the moment the kitty is pretty
low. So if any of you are feeling extra generous, donations are needed and would
be most welcome. There is so much more that could be done if we had the funds.
One of those things we are looking to do is to initiate a Chastity program.
These are sometimes known as “True Love Waits”. Keep this intention in your
prayers, please.
Let us make good use of the time we have left as we anticipate His coming
again to us.
May the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ reign in our hearts and homes this
Christmas. Maranatha!
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